Judaism: Practices Flashcards
What are the purposes of public worship for Jews ?
- gives a sense of belonging to the whole community when worshipping together
[] also allows for people to make friends within the religion and socialise with people who share their morals and values - gives an opportunity for people to feel the strength of the faith (how many people hold their beliefs)
- allows to take part in prayers which can only be said in congregations
[] Shabbat prayers in particular - rabbinical teaching states that there is more merit to group prayer than individual prayer
- fulfils the requirement for people to worship publicly in the Temple
Give a quote from Psalms about the Jewish requirement to worship publicly in the Temple as well as at home
“I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people… in the courts of the house of the Lord.”
What is Kiddush ?
Prayer said over wine to sanctify Shabbat
Describe Jewish practices during Shabbat from Friday evening to Saturday evening (end of Shabbat)
Friday evening:
- Shabbat welcomed “like a bride”
- go to synagogue where evening prayers held
- end of service rabbi takes cup of wine and recites Kiddush to thank God for giving Shabbat
Saturday morning:
- families go to synagogue for morning prayers (main weekly service)
- Sefer Torah taken out of Ark and carried to bimah for rabbi to read sidra (readings)
- members of the congregation called to recite blessings at certain points of the reading and from books of the prophets
- rabbi gives sermon after Sefer Torah is put back
Saturday afternoon:
- afternoon prayers in synagogue
Give some differences between the synagogue services of Orthodox and Reform Jews
have slightly different prayers
Reform:
- services in English
- men and women seated together
- women attend all services
- women can be rabbis
- music is allowed
Orthodox: converse
Give some differences between Orthodox and Reform Jewish worship/beliefs surrounding worship
- Orthodox women home worship more important since can’t always go to synagogue
- Reform/Liberal have complete equality of sexes - disregard Rabbinical teaching surrounding sex
- Reform/Liberal Jews may not always observe laws surrounding wearing tefillin/tallit for prayer, keeping kosher, festivals etc., because interpret the Torah as a document of the time and the inspired word of God written by human authors, rather than the literal word of God
[] keeping moral mitzvot is more important than ritual mitzvot
Describe briefly the importance of synagogue worship for the Jewish COMMUNITY
- to worship with “all [their] heart and with all [their] soul”, need to worship in community
- to properly celebrate Shabbat, Pesach, Rosh Hashanah, Simchat Torah and Yom Kippur
- gives opportunity to celebrate rituals like Bar/Bat MItzvahs, marriage etc.
Describe briefly the importance of synagogue worship for the Jewish INDIVIDUAL
- gives community
- gives order and purpose to one’s life
- gives opportunity to reflect on more serious sins and aspects of life
- gives opportunity to listen to readings from the Sefer Torah and the Tenakh
- has sermons from rabbi which gives opportunity to learn what it is to be Jewish (in the 21st century), as well as new insight on their faith
List the 8 main festivals in Judaism
- Purim
- Simchat Torah
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Sukkot
- Hanukkah
- Pesach
- Shauvot
Why are festivals important in Judaism ?
- celebrate important events in Jewish history
- celebrate relationship between Jews and God
- Celebrate God as Creator and sustaining life/nature (Sukkot/Shauvot have connections w/the harvest season)
- opportunity for Jews to repent
What is Rosh Hashanah ?
Jewish new year
Describe briefly Jewish practices for and on Rosh Hashanah
before:
- pray in the synagogue every day in the month of Ellul (last month of Jewish year) to think about sins and repent
- go to pray when shofar (ram’s horn) is blown; like chazzans in Islam
- make cards and exchange with friends/family
- make new years’ resolutions
on:
- welcomed in the home by Kiddush over foods with honey
- spend time with family
- go to synagogue
- eat specially prepared food
[] apple slices with honey to symbolise sweet new year
[] honey cake for same reason
[] round bread to symbolise circle of life and end of the year
[] pomegranate to symbolise the mitzvot that Jews need to keep, as there are supposed to be 613 seeds in a pomegranate
What is the religious significance of Rosh Hashanah ?
- is one of the mitzvot to celebrate
- God opens his “Book of Life” and begins recording the quality of people’s lives over the course of the Days of Awe
- it is the day that God created Adam and Eve, so regarded as the “birthday of the universe”
- every person is judged individually on their actions on Rosh Hashanah
[] first day of Ellul, Moses went to Sinai to receive new stone tablets to replace the ones he smashed when found Jews worshipping an idol
[] after 40 days, returned with new tablets because God forgave the Jews after they repented <- why Jews pray every day in Ellul before Rosh Hashanah
Give a quote from the Torah of the mitzvot commanding the celebration of Rosh Hashanah
“On the first day of the seventh month, you are have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts”
What is Yom Kippur ?
Day of Atonement
- 10 days after Rosh Hashanah
- ends the 10-day period called the Days of Awe
Describe briefly Jewish practices on Yom Kippur
- reflect on promises/resolutions made on Rosh Hashanah
- make amends with anyone they have wronged
- people fast for 25 hours
- Jews wear simple white clothes, no jewellery and no leather shoes (these are luxuries and forbidden in Leviticus)
- there are 5 synagogue services during the day
[] FESTIVAL of Simchat Torah celebrated in the synagogue
[] rabbinic FESTIVALS like Purim also celebrated in the synagogue
[] the last service is called Neilah, which is when God makes his final judgements
[] Neilah begins with the Kol Nidrei prayer and a confession of sins
What is the significance of Yom Kippur ?
- commanded as a mitzvah
- God passes final judgements on individuals’ lives during the Days of Awe and seals up the Book of Life for the next year
[] if a person has been good, they will have a good year in store - MITZVAH THAT JEWS WHO DO NOT FAST ETC. ON YOM KIPPUR WILL BE CUT OFF (from God) MEANS THAT EVEN MANY SECULAR JEWS OBSERVE YOM KIPPUR
- releases people from the weight of their sins and allows to make a new start
- fasting encourages the discipline needed to keep resolutions made on Rosh Hashanah, as well as encouraging compassion for the poor who fast by necessity, not choice
Give the quote from Leviticus in the Torah where Yom Kippur is commanded to be celebrated
“the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves… Anyone who does not deny himself… must be cut off”
What is Sukkot ?
the “Feast of Tabernacles” commemorating the Israelites living in sukkot (temporary huts) when in the desert after escaping Egypt
- begins 5 days after Yom Kippur and lasts for 7 days
What is a sukkah ?
temporary hut
What are the practices on Sukkot ?
- build family sukkah
[] has at least 3 walls and a roof of leafy branches - live in the sukkah or at least eat all meals in the sukkah for 7 days
- meet in the synagogue every day
[] people carry an etrog (lemon-looking fruit), myrtle branch, lulav (palm branch) and a willow branch as commanded in the mitzvah
[] they wave the lulav around and rejoice
[] last day, procession around the bimah SEVEN TIMES whilst waving/carrying the lulav and etrog
What is the significance of Sukkot ?
- celebrates Jewish history
- commemorates the end of the harvest season in Israel
- commanded as a mitzvah
- symbolises and encourages harmony through the family living together in their sukkah as a unit
- four species of plant symbolise 4 different types of Jews:
[] etrog = people who know the Torah AND do good
[] lulav = people who know the Torah but don’t do good
[] myrtle = people who do good but don’t know the Torah
[] willow = people who know/do neither
Give the mitzvah quote commanding Sukkot
“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and lasts for seven days”
What is Pesach ?
- Passover
- lasts 7 days
Describe briefly the practices associated with Pesach
- day before, all chametz (foods containing yeast) are burned
[] children sometimes have games hunting for chametz - Pesach begins an hour before nightfall
[] candles lit, festival welcomed into the home - synagogue service where Jews pray, thanking God for freeing the Israelites
- Seder meal had
[] special order to be followed during the meal set out in the hagadah (book telling story of first Passover)
[] food on seder plate only tasted - youngest member of family asks father many questions which get answered
- proper meal with lamb
- songs sung about the Exodus
- at end, unleavened bread eaten
[] also eaten for the duration of Pesach
Give the quote from the Torah forbidding chametz (food containing yeast) during Pesach
“For seven days, no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel”
What is the significance of Pesach ?
- commanded in the Torah as a mitzvah
- without Pesach and the Exodus, Jews wouldn’t exist
- commemorates Jews’ freedom from Egypt
[] before the tenth plague on Egypt, Jews spread lambs’ blood on their doorposts so the angel of death would pass over Jewish houses and only kill the sons of Egyptians
[] parting of the Red Sea, then closed when Egyptians tried to follow - celebration of God’s power
- celebrated as the birthday of the Jewish nation
[] seder meal is like the birthday “party” - the foods on the seder plate all have their own meanings
Give the five foods on the seder plate on Pesach and their meanings
- charoset
[] paste made with fruit, nuts and spices
[] represents mud bricks that the enslaved Israelites used for Egyptian building projects
[] when eaten, gives the sweet taste of freedom - bitter herbs (horseradish)
[] represents pain of slavery - parsley
[] green leaves represent freedom
[] dipped in salt water before eaten to remind of the Jewish slaves’ tears and pain, as well as the Red Sea - lettuce
[] green leaf represents freedom, bitter stalk = pain of slaves - burnt boiled egg
[] reminder of sacrifices burned in the Temple - lamb shank bone
[] reminder of lambs’ blood on doorposts
What is Shauvot ?
Feast of Weeks
- 7 weeks after Pesach
- known as Pentecost in Christianity
- lasts two days
What are the Jewish practices associated with Shauvot ?
- no work is done
- candles are lit to welcome the festival om both evenings
- first night, people stay up to read the Torah
- first day, everyone goes to synagogue to hear the ten commandments
- people eat dairy and no meat
- second day of Shauvot, special synagogue prayer for the dead
- Book of Ruth is read (she was born and died on Shauvot)
- greenery and flowers placed around the synagogue to represent Sinai blooming after the Torah was given to the Israelites
What is the significance of Shauvot ?
- celebrates the Israelites receiving the Torah on Sinai
- only festival without a specific mitzvah commanding it, as celebrates giving of Torah, commanded by all 613 mitzvot
- Shauvot completes Pesach
[] Pesach = physical freedom
[] Shauvot = spiritual freedom of having structure + believing in God - studying Torah the first night symbolises trying to right their ancestors’ wrongs, as many Jews fell asleep the night before Moses brought them the Torah
- eating dairy and no meat symbolises the Israelites doing the same before Moses had arrived with the Torah to avoid accidentally breaking any mitzvot concerning meat
- placing plants around the synagogue symbolises Sinai blossoming after Torah given, as WELL AS the mitzvah to always present the first fruits of the season to God
What does the Tenakh stand for ?
- Torah
- Nevi’im
- Ketuvim
What is the Torah ?
- the books of Moses
- contain the creation accounts
- contain Jewish history and identity (including stories of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses)
- contain the 613 Mitzvot
What is the Nevi’im ?
- books of the prophets
- contain the history of Israel
- first books teach Jews how the Mosaic covenant worked its way out through the Jewish people
- the other fifteen teach faith in one God and proclaim God’s message of justice and compassion
What is the Ketuvim ?
- book of writings
- history, poetry, philosophy and prophecy books
- show how the behaviour of Jews affected their history, as well as give teachings on life after death, suffering, moral life etc.
What is the Talmud ?
- the Oral Torah also given to Moses at Sinai
[] provides interpretations of the laws in the written Torah - the written version of the Talmud is called the Mishneh Torah, written after the mass emigration of Jews after the Romans destroyed the Temple
What is the Mishneh Torah ?
collection of Rabbinical teaching and analysis of the (oral) Torah, as well as the Oral Torah itself
What is the Halakhah ?
Written AND Oral Torah
Why are the Tenakh and Talmud so important to Jews today ?
Tenakh:
- Psalms are essential part of daily prayer and synagogue worship
- Torah important in synagogue worship
- Torah provides rules and order to life, so helps Jews make sense of the world
- portions of the Nevi’im read at the end of Torah readings in synagogue
- reading the books of the Tenakh help Jews to build their understanding of and relationship with God
Talmud:
- explains the meanings of the 613 mitzvot and provides depth of how they are to be observed by Jews in DAILY LIFE
- so important that commentaries relating the Talmud to the 21st century are STILL being written and published by rabbis
- basis of the halakhah, which is the basis of ORTHODOX Jewish life today
- main subject studied in yeshivot (Jewish academies for post A-level study)
Give the main Jewish food laws
- may eat any animal that has a split hoof and chews the cud
- may eat any seafood which has fins and scales
- may eat “clean” birds
- may not eat birds of prey
- may not eat dairy and meat together
- may not eat anything dead before it is found
- must slaughter animals in most harmless way and drain the blood
Give the mitzvot quotes for 2 Jewish food laws
” You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and chews the cud.”
“Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales.”
“Do not eat anything you find already dead”
“Do not cook a young goat in his mother’s milk.”
“Any… who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood”
What does kosher mean ?
food that is okay for a Jew to eat according to the food laws
What does kashrut mean ?
the state of being kosher
What does treifah mean ?
food which does not abide by the food laws and cannot be eaten
What is shechitah and a shochet ?
shechitah = method of slaughtering animals to abide by food laws
shochet = Jewish specially trained butcher; must also be learned in the Torah
What is special about the kitchens of Orthodox Jews ?
divided in two; one half for cooking dairy, one half for cooking meat
- the two sides have separate EVERYTHING and cannot be mixed, lest the food laws be broken
Why is keeping kashrut important for Orthodox Jews ?
- gives sense of Jewish identity
- prevents from breaking many mitzvot
[] important, as Torah = literal word of God for them, so disobeying mitzvot = disobeying God - makes think of God every time they eat
Give the quote from the Torah about serving God through prayer
“to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Give the quote from the Talmud about serving God through prayer
“What is service of the heart? That is prayer.”
What is the purpose and significance of prayer IN GENERAL for Jews ?
- opportunity to speak directly to God and be heard by him
- build up relationship with God
- serve God with heart, so obeying commandment in Torah
Where are the formal prayers in Judaism kept ?
Siddur
Name the three daily prayers and the time of day they are associated with respectively
shacharit (morning)
minchah (afternoon)
arvit (evening)
Which daily prayer should Orthodox men wear tefillin for ?
shacharit
What are tefillin ?
black boxes with straps to be worn around the head and arms, containing parts of the Torah
Where can the daily prayers be said ?
- in synagogue
- at home
HAVE TO BE IN A MINYAN - in Reform Judaism, women can make up a minyan as well as men
Why do Jews use private/informal prayers ?
- to communicate with God whenever they need to
- to build up a relationship with God
- to express their emotions and meditate on difficult problems freely
- to ask God for help or advice
- to thank God
Why are set prayers used in Judaism ?
- to prevent prayers from only being used selfishly
- to give a sense of being part of greater Jewish history
- to give community with other Jews globally
- to give order and purpose to life
- to help those who struggle with spontaneous prayer to be more open to praying
- to give people comfort in the stability and security of the set prayers
Describe Jewish prayer in the home
- when waking up, Jews thank God and pour water on their hands to purify themselves for the day ahead
- when going to sleep, the Shema is said, followed by “may it be Your will that Your should lay me down in peace and raise me up to good life and peace. Blessed are You God who lights up the whole world with His glory.”
- mezuzah on each door of the house to remind of God’s presence
[] contains a small scroll of the Shema
[] the mezuzah is touched and Jews thank God when entering and leaving a room - blessing of/thanks to God before and after eating
Give the quote from the Torah relating to thanking God and touching the mezuzah when entering/leaving a room
“You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.”
What is the Shema ?
- most important prayer in Judaism
- known as the fundamental declaration of Judaism
Give the quote from the Shema relating to tefillin
“You shall bind [the words of the Torah] as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes.”
Give the quote from the Shema relating to God’s nature as one
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.”
Give the quote from the Shema relating to tallits’ tzizits
“make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments… They shall be to you as tzizit, and you shall look upon them and remember all of the commandments”
When is the Shema said ?
[] 3 times a day
- morning (shacharit)
- evening (arvit)
- before sleeping
[] (first line is said) when the Sefer Torah is taken from the Ark in synagogue
Why is the Shema important to Jews ?
- declaration of the main principles of Judaism:
[] one God
[] people should love God and follow his commandments
[] those who serve God will be blessed
[] aim of Judaism is to become holy through obedience of God
What is the Amidah ?
- the “standing prayer”
- second most important prayer in Judaism
- contains nineteen blessings, each ended with “Blessed are you, O Lord.”
Describe briefly the purposes of the nineteen blessings in the Amidah
- first three praise God
- next six personal requests for God
- next six are requests for the people of Israel
- final three ask God to accept the blessings, to have mercy and compassion, and thank God for the opportunity to serve him
When should the Amidah be said ?
- in synagogue
- weekday daily prayers; slight amendments for Shabbat and festivals
How should the Amidah be said ?
- standing facing Jerusalem
- immediately before starting, take 3 steps back and then forward again to symbolise entering into God’s presence
- begins and ends with a formal bow
- in the middle section (petition), congregation says “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole world is filled with His glory” after each petition
- ends in blessing, “Praised are You, Adonai, the holy God.”
Why is the Amidah important for Jews ?
- it fulfils all the great rabbinical requirements of a prayer
[] to come before God first with praise, then petition, then withdraw with words of thanks - Amidah asks God to fulfil both humanity’s spiritual and physical needs
- major prayer in the Siddur, so has to be major prayer for all Jews
- helps Jews fulfil service to God
Give 5 main differences between Christian and (Orthodox) Jewish worship
- prayers are said facing Jerusalem in Judaism
[] Christians may pray in any direction - Orthodox Jews pray in Hebrew
[] Christians pray in the native language - men and women worship separately in Orthodox Judaism
[] Christian men and women worship together - Jewish holy day is Saturday
[] Christian holy day is Sunday - Jews must pray three times a day at set times
[] Christians can pray whenever and are expected to go to church only on Sundays
Give 4 similarities between Christian and Jewish worship
- both involve reading from the scriptures
- both involve sermons
- both involve the congregation praying together
- both include praying for others
Name the main rituals in Judaism
- Brit Milah
- Brit Bat (naming ceremony for baby girls)
- Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah
- marriage
- death/mourning rituals
What happens during a Brit Milah ceremony ?
- can be celebrated in hospital, at home or at the synagogue 8 days after the boy is born
[] if in the synagogue or at home, there will be 10 adults present to make up a minyan - mother brings in baby and gives to kvatters
- child carried on cushion to the sandek, who holds the child for the procedure
- mohel circumcises the child
- father recites a blessing which reminds of God commanding circumcision
- mohel blesses child and names him
- child carried by kvatters back to parents
- celebratory meal to welcome child into the covenant of Judaism
What are kvatters ?
(usually a married couple) people who carry the baby to the sandek during Brit Milah
What is a sandek ?
person who holds the baby for Brit Milah - usually the grandfather or a respected member of the congregation
Why is circumcision important ?
- part of the Abrahamic covenant
[] “Every male among you shall be circumcised” - Genesis - mitzvah
- Jewish community
- Jewish history (Greeks + Romans tried to abolish the Jewish faith by banning the procedure)
Describe what happens in Brit Bat (Orthodox ritual)
- happens on the Shabbat following the child’s birth
- rabbi blesses and names child
- Kiddush over wine, celebratory meal
Quote the mitzvah concerning Jews having children
“Be fruitful and increase in number.”
Quote the part from the Torah concerning marriage
“a man will leave his mother and his father and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.” - Genesis
Give the Talmudic teaching about marriage completing Jewish people
“A man without a wife is incomplete. An unmarried woman is an unfinished vessel.”
What are the purposes of Jewish marriage ?
- sanctify the couple (ceremony)
- obey the mitzvot by having children
- share in love and companionship
- have sex in the way God intended
- establish a Jewish home to bring up Jewish children
Describe what happens in a Jewish marriage ceremony
- couple fast before the wedding to repent for past sins
- bride and groom meet under huppah
- rabbi blesses glass of wine and thanks God for sanctifying Israel by his commands around marriage
- bride and groom drink from same glass
- groom puts ring on bride’s finger with words that legalise the marriage according to the halakhah
- ketubah read out
[] groom promises to provide for wife and specifies what she receives if he dies or they get divorced - rabbi recites 7 blessings over wine and couple drink from same glass again to show share everything now that are married
- groom stamps on glass to remind everyone of destruction of the Temple and that people still suffer during celebration
What is a huppah ?
- canopy under which Jewish marriage takes place
- symbolises couple’s new home and unites under one roof
- closed on top and open at sides to symbolise how marriages need both privacy and openness to function
Give 3 features of Jewish marriage (not the ceremony)
- can only take place between two Jews, so if one partner is not already Jewish, they must convert
- is a mitzvah to get married
- Jewish marriage is a contract, so divorce is allowed in Judaism
Why is the Bar Mitzvah important ?
- marks Jewish boys becoming adults IN TERMS OF FAITH
[] this means being able to make up a minyan, wearing tefillin for morning prayers, being responsible for their own study of the Torah and going to synagogue, observing all fast days in full etc.
What happens in the Bar Mitzvah ritual ?
- takes place on the first Shabbat after the boy’s 13th birthday
- before the ceremony, the boy attends special Hebrew classes at the synagogue so he can read the scriptures
- in the ceremony, the boy recites the blessing before the Torah reading
- the boy reads the whole Torah passage for that day
- the boy’s father says “Blessed be he who hath freed me from the responsibility for this child
- rabbi talks about responsibilities of adult Jews and joys of fulfilling the mitzvot
- celebratory meal
Describe what happens in an ORTHODOX Bat Mitzvah (aka Bat Chayim)
- happens when girls are 12
- rabbis address a group of girls who have turned 12 during the previous year
- each girl reads a passage they have chosen from the Tenakh
Describe what happens at a LIBERAL/REFORM Bat Mitzvah
- same procedure as Bar Mitzvah
- happens first Shabbat after girl’s birthday
- before ceremony, girl takes Hebrew lessons in the synagogue so she can read the passages
- before the reading, she recites a blessing
- she reads the whole of the Torah reading for that day
- the father says “Blessed is he who hath freed me from the responsibility for this child”
- rabbi talks about responsibilities of adult Jews and the joys of fulfilling the mitzvot
Describe Jewish practices when a Jew is about to die
- family gathers with the dying person
- Jew dies with the words “the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” on their lips
Describe Jewish practices from the point of death of a loved one to their funeral
- relatives make a tear in their clothing to fulfil mitzvah
- synagogues have a burial society to help family at time of grief
- body washed, wrapped in plain linen shroud, covered with deceased’s tallit
- body placed in coffin
- funeral takes place as close to the death as possible
- someone stays with body at all times (disrespectful to leave alone)
Why do relatives of the deceased tear their clothing ?
- to fulfill the mitzvah
- “Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.”
Why don’t Orthodox Jews allow cremation ?
it is forbidden to defile the property of God
Describe Jewish practices during the funeral
- some Psalms are read
- short prayer
- rabbi gives short speech about the deceased
- everyone accompanies the body to the grave
- prayers are said
- everyone present takes turns placing shovelfuls of dirt atop the coffin
[] IT IS A MITZVAH TO HELP BURY THE DEAD - family of the deceased comforted with the words “The Omnipresent will comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”
- everyone washes their hands before leaving
What is avelut ?
the second stage of mourning, entered after the funeral
What is sitting shiva ?
- the first part of avelut
- 7 days of intense mourning
- mourners eat a meal of hard boiled eggs after the funeral
[] symbolises mourners’ grief-stricken silence, as an egg has no opening - mourners don’t leave the house apart from on Shabbat for synagogue
- no cutting hair or nails
- no listening to music
- sit only on low chairs
- no sex or leather shoes
- all mirrors covered so they don’t pay attention to appearance
- candles kept burning day and night
[] “the candle of the Lord searches the soul of man” - people from the synagogue and friends visit the family and bring food
What do male mourners do after shiva ?
for three weeks, go to synagogue every day to pray kaddish
- during this time, headstone should be set up in cemetery
[] simple to avoid idolatry and show equality in death
What must those mourning a parent or child do after shiva ?
enter 12 month mourning period
- male mourners recite kaddish
- no listening to or playing music unless part of job
What is yarzheit ?
anniversary of someone’s death
- as long as mourners live, they keep yarzheit for relatives
- candle kept burning for a night and a day
- kaddish is said
Give some differences between Liberal/Reform Jewish death rituals and Orthodox rituals
Liberal/Reform:
- allow more time to pass between death and funeral so that more family members can attend
- allow cremation
- put on black ribbons rather than tearing their clothing
- sit shiva for at most 3 days
- don’t cover mirrors
- don’t stay in the house for a week
- allow music
Orthodox: converse
Explain the importance of rituals for Jews
- Brit Milah and Bat Brit bring child into Jewish covenant and community
[] important for supporting the parents - Bar/Bat Mitzvah important because give young people opportunity to become more involved with their faith
- marriage important because develop family to continue faith and also bring two people together
- death/funeral rituals provide comfort for the grieving
Give the Torah quote commanding to keep Shabbat
“Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy… On it, you shall not do any work”
Why is Shabbat celebrated ?
- to spend time in worship, prayer and study
- to think about God’s intentions for life
- to proclaim their belief in God as the Creator
- to fulfil the mitzvot about Shabbat
- to obey the fourth of the ten commandments
- to spend time as a family
Explain some divergent Jewish approaches to observing Shabbat
Orthodox:
- strictly no work at all is done, including:
[] cooking
[] turning on lights (in the Torah it is forbidden to light fire on Shabbat)
[] driving
[] working a job (unless an important doctor - then Pikuach Nefesh takes precedency)
[] boiling water
[] carrying items
- because can’t drive, many Orthodox Jews will have to walk to synagogue on Shabbat, so live within walking distance of a synagogue
- because can’t carry things, Jews must leave their items (such as water bottles, tallit and siddurs) in their seats at synagogue before Shabbat begins
Reform/Liberal:
- many will still switch on lights, carry items, boil water, cook etc.
- most will not work unless their contract demands it
- will drive to synagogue often
Why is Shabbat important for Jewish people as individuals today ?
- offers chance to rest physically and spiritually and set time aside for God
- gives time to think about their priorities and desires in life
- gives time to socialise outside of the demands/pressures of work
Why is Shabbat important for the Jewish community ?
- celebrated since the creation of the world and so is the oldest Jewish festival
[] Jewish history - Shabbat is God’s gift to Jews which binds them together as one people
[] Jewish identity - reminds Jews of their time as slaves in Egypt and refraining from work is a sign of freedom
- gives families chance to spend time together and strengthen faith together
Describe some features of the exterior design of a synagogue
- should have either a star of david or menorah to show it is Jewish
- have windows to let light into the synagogue
[] symbol of God’s strength and guidance - should face Jerusalem
[] to face the original Temple
Describe some features of the interior design of a synagogue
- sink at entrance so Jews can wash/cleanse themselves ceremonially before prayer
- Holy Ark
[] cupboard fixed to front wall
[] focal point of synagogue
[] sometimes have black and gold curtain, and other times black door with gold lions to represent Messiah’s tribe (Judah) - Sefer Torah inside Ark
[] has bells attached to poles so congregation can hear when taken out
[] has shield placed on top of the wrapped roll - yad used to read Sefer Torah
[] sign of respect, also prevents finger oils damaging - bimah with desk for reading Torah
- a chair on either side of bimah for rabbi and chazzan
- sometimes will have a menorah
[] Orthodox synagogues will have menorahs with either six or eight branches, as replication of Temple items is improper - plaque with the decalogue above or next to the Ark
Describe some uses of the synagogue outside of worship
- teaching Hebrew
- Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
- Brit Milah
- Brit Bat
- senior citizens’ clubs
- parent and toddler groups
- youth clubs
- scouts
- day camps during school holidays
